Eyeglass and spectacle rim.



J. 0. WELLS. EYBGLASS AND SPEOTAOLE RIM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21,1909.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

WITNESSES.

"umtrEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- JOEL CQWELLS, F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY, OF SOUTHIBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- srirrs.

EYEGLASS AND SPECTACLE RIM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed May 21, 1909. Serial No. 497,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL CHENEY 'WELLS,

' a'resident of Southbridge, Worcester county and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Eyeglass and Spectacle Rims, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved plan of construction and has for its object to make the rims stiffenthan heretofore without increase of weight, or as stiff as hereto- .to make the rims, and particularly the joints by means of which the rims are clamped upon the lenses, more 'sightly and less conspicuous wlthout' in any way detracting from their strength or efiiciency.

My invention is intended more particularly for eyeglass rims as distinguished from spectacle rims but may be used for the lat-.

ter, if desired, with advantage; in the description which follows, 1 have had eyeglasses principally ,in mind. I

Of recent years, rimless eyeglasses have been preferred by the majority of users' mainly by reason of their less conspicuous appearance, rimmed glasses generally having not only the encircling band about the lens, but also having upon each rim a projecting portion or lug embodying and .including the clamping means or joints by which the rims, which must be openable' to admit the lens, are held together to retain the lens in position: These projecting por-' tions are necessarily of considerable size and are even more objectionableon the score of looks than the rims proper. In forming the joint also at whicheachrim opens to receive its lens, it has been-the custom 'to ,make a cut straight through the rim and lug at substantially right angles tothe plane of therim and lens. The screw or other clamping device-included by. the lug and by means of which I the joint 'islocked-to retain the lens is-neces- .sarily at some 'd1stan-ce from'therim proper,

senting a bad appearance but sometimes permitting the lens to escape from the rim. Furthermore, inthe case of lenses a little too large for the rims it has been necessary to "accurately grind the edges of said lens until the rim. would lock upon the lens with the opposing edges of the joint squarely together; otherwise a gap in the joint and rim would exist and be lainly visible. All of the preceding disa vantages are entirely overcome in my improved rims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l'is an enlarged rear elevation of a pair of eye-- glass rims embodying one form of my invention, the nose gr pping portions being omitted; Fig.2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the joint as shown in the righthand rim'of Figsrl and 2, but still further enlarged; Fig. 4 isja side elevation taken from, the right of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 3 but shows a diiierent way-of forming the cut in the joint; Fig. 6 is a side elevation looking to the right of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is-another side elevation similar to Fig. 6, the intersection of the two oblique planes being new supposed horizontal instead of inclined downwardly to the plane of the rim as-in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 1s a side elevation of a joint similar to that shown in the preceding figures, but havinga still different style of cut; and Fig. 9 is a .side elevation of Fig. 5 in a modified construction in which there is a pair of Vs entering from each'side, the intersections of said -Vs being inwardly and downwardly inclined and meeting centrally.

Referrin to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, A is 'the' rim an B a rearwardly projecting lug,

preferably cylindrical in form, and tangent to the rim, fixed to said rim either lntegrally in process of manufacture or by brazlng or 0 her suitable means. I prefer to lace this .lug B just below the juncture o the rim to Figs. 3 and 4:, it will be noted that the out by which the joint and rim are 'sepa' rated isnot at right angles to the plane of the rim but oblique thereto; in fact starting cylindrical lug' B, the cut is first obliquely 1 from the rar, 2., from the outside of the upward and forward through the lug and then obliquely downward and-forward at about thesame angle through the rim, so as .to constitute an inverted V'. I do not require this cut to be thus formed in twooportions at an. angle to one another for one ob- 'ject of my invention, which is to leave 'no transverse gap at the joint'to readily catch the eye of the observer in case the lens "is a little too large for the rim so that opposing surfaces of the joint may not-be perfectly brought together;. to-accomplish this useful purpose, 'I only require that the cut be substantially oblique to the plane of the rim. Where the out is straight through at right angles to the rim, it is clear that any failure of the joint to completely close would leave the face of the wearer as a background plainly visible through the gap and thus be very undesirable. With the simple oblique,

cut as in my invention, the gap may be very material and, yet when looked at from any *usual position will show only an expanse of metal into the uniform color of which will merge even the severed edges of the joint.

Having the joint-divided by two outs meetingat an angle, does however serve another 4 useful purpose, namely, that of keeping the reference to the other.

by two intersecting planes, the line of inter section of said planes being parallel to the plane of the rim. In Fig. 5 the same kind of cut is employed, but the line of intersection isnow perpendicular to the plane of the rim. In Fig. 8 the cut comprises two portions of oppositely curved cylinders of revolution, the line tracing said curve being parallel to the plane of the rim.

My invention does not reside in a joint divided by-a cut at any particular angle; con

sidering the front 'of the frame, any out through rim and lug at" a 'suflicient angle from the horizontal to cut ofi the view of a normally positioned observer directly through the gap when the joint 1s slightly 0 ened, is sufficient; or'if one or more of s veral cuts are at an angle it is sufficient. But as regards the feature of maintaining the divided rim in perfect alinement, a cut made by a single oblique plane no matter at what angle, is not as effective as are planes meeting at an angle. Even better than two angularly meeting planes would be two pair of planes, the intersection of one pair be ing at an angle to the intersection of the other pair and in thesame plane (shown in Figs. 5 and9). In this way shifting in any direction of one part of the rim with referenceto the other would be prevented, Whereas in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, for example,- the joint prevents transverse shifting, but shifting in the plane of the rim and lens .is hindered only by the set screw" d; the same is true of the formofcut shown in Fig. 8. In F.igs.- 5, 6, and 7, on the contrary, shifting in the plane of the rim is impeded by the form of out, while the set screw d alone prevents transverse shifting.

As applied to spectacles, my improved joint would preferably be at the outer 'extremities of the rims instead of' the inner, and in such case, the joint could be so formed as to serve also as a support" for the temple, in the manner already known in the art.

I have shown and described my improved joint as located on the rim adjacent to its longer dimensions and this is the location which I prefer. But the substance and spirit of my invention have nothing essentially to do with the location of my improved joint as regards the longer or shorter dimensions of the rim and I therefore claim. my improvementas applied to the rim anywhere with reference to such dimensions. Having now described my invention what I claim 1s:

,1. In eyeglasses or spectacles the combialinement and obstructing sight along-a horizontal line.

2. In eyeglasses or spectacles the combination of a lensfa rim provided with a rear-' wardly projecting lug said lug and rim being divided'so as to'constitute overlapping joint'portions, and a' screw tangent to the. rim for uniting said portions at variable distances from one another thereby adapting the rim to lenses of varying size the over lapping joints aiding alinement and 0bstructing sight along a horizontal line.

3. Aneyeglass or spectacle rim provided with a rearwardly pro ecting cylindrical lug? the axis of said lug being parallel to the rim at the attaching point and said lug and rimbeing divided by oblique planes to con- I stitute overlapping joint portions said joint portions overlapping both as to the plane of the rim andas tdaplane perpendicular to the aforesaid plane in combination with a screw parallel to the axis of the lug and adapted to unite said divided portions at variable distances from one another thereby adapting the rim to lenses of varying size, the overlapping joints aiding alinement and obstructing sight along a horizontal line.

4. An eyeglass or spectacle rim provided with a rearwardly projecting lug, the axis of said lug being parallel to the rim at the attaching point and said lug and rim being divided obliquely to constitute overlapping joint portions, said joint ortions overlapping both as to the plane 0 the rim and as to a plane perpendicular to the aforesaid plane, in combination with a screw adapted to unite said divided ortions at variable distances from one anot er, thereby adapting the rim! to lenses of varying size, the overlapping joints aiding alinement and obstructing sight through said joint. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of May, 1909, in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

JOEL C. WELLS. Witnesses:

NELSON M. BAKER, Prrr H. HERBERT. 

